Clutch



June 27, 1 933. G. J. ZIEGLER 1,915,772

CLUTCH Filed May 10, 1929 5 Sl'leeS--Sheefl 2 /9 4- F' .4'- /7 z l5 gg.' o u. y

l gl //Z Gear e tI. Zev [en I7 June 27, 1933.

CLUTCH Filed May lo' 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet IfLVenor. Jo m `JZHOFHQMS.

Fig. 7 is a 'cross section on the line meme June' 21, 1933 asoma J.

ZINLEB, OF :E408y AHGELB, GLIZE'OBN'ILA,y ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF T0 camas J. umn., or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA cLUrcB .Appnmm mal my 1o,

This invention relates to a clutch mechanism for trucks, vehicles and the'like, andthe principal object thereof is to provide a mechanism of the foregoing nature including clutches normally engaged means for resetting them after they have been manually disengaged. y

One feature of the invention consists in substantially the means shown for 'moving a slidable clutch disk member into eective clutch engagement.' To that end a lever is pivotally mounted at one end near said sliding disk and has a laterally projecting dog in position to engage and lforce said disk in clutching engagement when the other end of the lever is actuatedand there is on the other 'end of said lever a roller adapted to be enactuad by a cam surrounding a shaft carrying said clutch disk. The cam moves the roller end of said lever outwardly radially from the axis of said cam and causes the dog to move the disk into clutching engagement. When the cam is `released a radially extending spring returns said lever and clutch disk to vtheiur idle position.

Other objects, advantages' and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, thel subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

gaged and Fig. 1 is a fragmental plan View of clutchesand operating means that are constructed in accordance with the invention, parts shown semidiagrammatically;

Fig. -2 is an enlarged longitudinalY section on'staggered line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental central section on` line 3-3, Fig. 2, showing a detail of one of the clutches and showing the clutch members in engaged or clutching position. v

Fig. 4 1s a fragmental portion of the upper right hand clutch dog in disengaged position. v

Fig. 5 is across section on line 5 5. Fi 3, showing the' arrangement ofthe clutc dogs and means for automatically holding them in position to enga e the clutch members with the ioating is Fi 6 'is a fragmental end view ofthe hub nut t at carries the clutch dogs and springs for automatically holding the drum in'position for its cams to hol the dogs engage with the sliding disk toset the clutch.

with automatic' portion of Fig. 3 showing the 19:9. serial No. 361,998'.

Fi 6, showing the means for adjusting the hu nut so as to take up the wear on the friction plates.

The clutch 'construction includes the clutches 10 and 11 that are in driving connection with a diferential- 12 mounted on the tractor frame 13 semidiagrammatically indicated in Fig. 1.

The clutches 10 and 11 are constructed and operated substantially alike so that a detailed description of one will describe both clutches. f

The differential 12 can be of any well known type driven by a shaft 14 that is connected with an engine not shown; and this diierential is in driving connection with the inner ends of the shafts 15 and 16 by means well understood in the art. These shafts are shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The other ends of the shafts 15 and 16 carry the pin wheels 17 and 18 on which the center clutch members 19 andv 20 of the clutches 10 and 11 are loosely suspended and arranged to be rotated. around the axis of the shafts 15 and 16. In other words the wheels 17 and 18 carry pins v21 that extend through bearing holes 22 in the center members 19 and 20, so that the members, can be moved slightly endwise of the shafts 15 and 16 and can rotate as stated, but are prevented from radial movement. That is the wheels 17 and 18 and center members 19 and'26 are arranged to rotate` when the differential is The vaxle shafts 23 and 24 on the outer end of which are secured the tractor wheels 25 and 26 are rotatably mounted in the frame 13 by suitable bearings 27, and they are aligned with the shafts 15 and 16.

The inner ends of the shafts 23, 24 are reduced in size and telesco e into sockets in the ends of the shafts 15 an 16, and', as shown in Fig. 3, a ball bearing 28 is interposed be- 'tween 'the shaft 23 and the hub 29 of the wheel 17, andthe connection of the shaft 24 to its respective wheel 18 is formed in the same way.

In other words the pin wheels 17 and 18 and the floating or suspended disks- 19 and 20 are arranged to rotatefreely when the clutches 10 and A11 are disengaged.

The clutch 1() includes a1 stop ori-,abutment disk 30 that is arranged adj @cent oile side of the floating disk 19 and that has an elongated hub 31 that iskeyedto,-the shaft 23,-

lio.-

and loosely mounted on the hub 3l and arranged on the other side ot the heating disk 19 is a sliding disk 32. 'llnterposed between v toward the abutment disk 3() so as to pinch the plates 339 34C between them so that all these parts will rotate together when the diderential l2 is driven.,

The sliding disk 32 is normally torced tovvard the disk by means ci levers 35 that are pivotallyconnected by pins 36 ears 37 on a hub nut 33 that is secured on the hub 3l The levers 35 have rollers 39 on their free ends that are normally forced `outaardly trom the axis ot the shatt 23 by camsv It@ that are integral with the hub il of a drum d2. 'lhe levers 35 have dogs 4:3 arranged to engage an annular tlange td that is integral with the disk 32 so that vvhen the rollers 39 are ridin on the cams 14) theclutch members will e in clutching en agement.

'lhe camsfdll are automatically held in position to force the rollers 39 outwardly by radially extending vspring arms t5 that have their inner ends secured in the bosses d6 that are integral With the hub nut 33 and the outer ends oi'r these spring arms extend loosely through guides t7 that are integral vvith t e outer ends ot rigid radial armst that are integral with the drum d2. 'lhe outer ends ot the spring arms are retained in the' guides t7 by cotter pins t9.

By this connection ot the spring arms d5 to the drum l2 the cams d0 are held in posi-v tion to automatically torce the rollers 39 outwardl and thereby engage the clutch dis an 32 with the Heating Idisk 19 to drive the tractor or vehicle.

The clutch is disengaged by' a means for interrupting the rotation ot: the drum d2 that is carried by the spring arms 45. en the rotation ot the drum 42 is interrupted the rollers 39 roll oh the cams'dO into recesses 59 so that the dogs d3 are disengaged from the tlange it and thereby permitting the clutch members to disenge the tloating disk i9.x As soon as the drum d2 is released the tension ot the spring arms again moves the drinn in position tor the rollersl 39 to ride on the cams t0 and reset the clutch.

Preferably'the spring arms d5 are formed ot three sheets ot sixteen gauge steel strips ot proper length and vvidth to perform their notion, but can be one piece it so desired.

Thedrum t2 is loosely mounted on the reduced end ot the hub 3lyand is rotatably held thereon by a nut M2.

l"llhe hub nut 38 is provided with esions 5l that are arranged to engage stops 52 on the hub il to limit the movement of these parts so that the rollers are not carried beyond the recesses into which theyA are arranged to fall when carried od of the cams d0. l

The drums d2 are provided with brake bands 53 that are connected to levers 5t pivu otally connected by pins 55 to brackets 56 secured to the frame 13 so that when the levers are actuated the bands either grip or release the drums.

'llhe levers 5ft are pivotally connected by pins 57 to the outer ends ot the draw bars 53. These bars have their other ends adjustably secured in the side arms oi the hell cranks 599 66 by opposing nuts 6l, 62.

The hell cranks are pivoted on pins 63 that are secured in the iframe i3, and the other ends ot these bell cranks engage a roller 64 pivoted in the end of a control arni 65 by a pin 66. lhe control arm 65 is secured to a steering post 67 that has its lower end revoluloly mounted in a hearing 68 secured to the trame i3.

The steering post 67 has arms 69, 70 integral with its upper end on' which there are handles 7l so that the post67 can be rotated to move the arm 65 in one direction or the other to actuate the bell cranks and thereby tighten or release the brake bands on the drums.

, A means is provided whereby the rotation of the steering post can be made to interrupt the rotation of bothj drums so that both clutches are-released. 'lhis means includes short arms or extensions 72, 73 on the rear end of the control arm 65 that are arranged to engage spurs 742, 75 on the bell cranks 59, 60 so that when the control arm 65 is moved to actuate the bell crank 59, if moved far enough, the extension 73 will also engage the spur 75 and actuate the other bell crank 60 and vice versa.

A means is provided for taking up the Wear on the friction plates 33, 34:. This means includes a pin 76 that extends through a boss 77 on the hub nut 38 and this pin is arranged to extend through the holes 78 in the hub or the sliding disk 32. ln other `Words `When the pin 76 is removed the nut 38 can be adjusted to take up the wear on the plates, after which the pin is replaced in one ot the numerous holes 78.

lln operation the clutches l0 and ll are normally en aged so that the tractor wheels 25, 26 are driven by the did'erential through the clutches until one or the other or both drums t2 are interrupted in their rotation. lf the drum controlling the clutch 10 is stopped the clutch will be released so that the Wheel 25 will stand still and vice versa, and when both drums t2 are stopped both tractor Wheels will be stopped, and the disengaging of the clutches is accomplished by said floating a slight manual movement of the steering post and the resetting of the clutches after they have been disengaged is' accomplished automatically, as previously stated.l

I claim as my invention:

1. A clutch for a vehicle including a driving shaft, a driven shaft, an abutment disk having lan elongated hub secured to the driven shaft, a sliding disk loosely and .slidably mounted on the elongated hub, a floating disk connected to the driving shaft and arranged between the abutment and sliding disks, oppositely arran ed friction plates carried by isk, a hub nut adjustably secured on the elongated hub, dogs carried by said hub nut, a drum loosely mounted `on the elongated hub, cams carried by said drum, and radially extended spring arms connecting said hub nut and drum that are adapted to move said cams in position to force said dogs against the sliding disk to move it to- Y' ing shaft, a driven shaft,

v shaft, a sliding ward the abutment disk and establish a driving connection between the driving and driven shafts.

2. A clutch for a vehicle including a driving shaft, a` driven shaft, an abutment di'sk having an elongated hub secured to the driven disk loosely and' slidably mountedY on the elongated hub, a floating disk connected to the driving shaft and arranged between the abut-ment and sliding disks, oppositely arranged friction plates carried by said floating disk, a hub nut adjustably secured on the elongated hub, levers ivotally connected to said 'hub nut, dogs integral with said levers,'rollers on the free ends of said levers, a mounted on the elongated hub, cams carried by said drum, and radially extended spring arms connected to said hub nut and drum that are arranged to normally force said cams under said rollers to engage said do withthe sliding disk to move it toward said abutment disk to establish a driving connection between said driving and driven shafts.

3. A clutch for a vehicle including a drivan abutment disk having an elongated hub secured to .the driven shaft, a sliding disk rotatably and slidably mounted on the elon ted hub, a floating disk connected to the and arran ed between said abutment sliding dis s, friction plates carried by and-l arranged on each side lof said floating disk, a hub nut adjustably secured to the elongated hub, levers pivotally connected to said hub nut, dogs integral with said levers, rollers on the free ends of said levers, a drum loosely mounted on the elongated hub and arranged to rotate therewith, rigid radial arms on said drum, camscarried by said drum, radial spring arms having their inner ends connected to said hub nut and their outer-ends loosely connected to said rigid arms, said spring arms arranged to normally force said y hub nut, do

drum loosely slidin riving shaft and said cam hub,

cams under said rollers to engagesaid dogs' with the sliding disk to move it toward said abutment disk to establish a driving connection between said driving and driven shafts, and means connected with said hub "nut and sliding disk for taking up the wear on said friction plates.

4. A clutch for a vehicle including a driving shaft, a drivenshaft, an abutment disk having an elongated hub `secured to the driven shaft, a sliding disk rotatably and slidably mounted on the elongated hub, a floating disk connected to the driving shaft and arranged between said abutment and sliding disks, friction plates carried by and arranged on each side of said floating disk, a hub nut adjustably secured to the elongated hub, levers pivotally connected to said s inte ral with said levers, ers on the ree en s of said levers, a drum loosely mounted on the elongated hub and arranged to rotate therewith, rigid radial arms integral with said drum, cams carried by said drum, radial spring arms having their inner ends connected to said hub nut and their outer ends connected to said rigid arms, said spring arms arranged to normally force said cams under said rollers to engage said dogs with the sliding disk to move it toward said abutment disk yto establish a driving connection between said driving and driven shafts, and means for interrupting the rotatien of said drum for disengaging said cams from said rollers so that the clutch members will disenga e.

5. A clutc for a vehicle including a driving shaft, a driven shaft, an abutment disk having an` elongated hub -secured to the driven shaft, a sliding disk loosely and slidably mounted on the elongated hub of said abutment disk, a pin wheel secured to said driving shaft having pins extended over the eriphery of said abutment disk,

isk loosely supported on the pins fof sai pin wheel so it is supported between said and abutment disks, friction plates carrie on each side of lsaid floating disk, a hub nut adjustably secured on the elongated hub' of said abutment disk, dogs carried by said hub nut, a drum loosely mounted on the elongated hub, a cam hub to said drum,

spaced cams, recesses yand stops in and on levers integral with said dogs, rollers on the free ends ofsaid levers that normall rest against the sto s in the recesses o said cam hub, means fbi interrupting the rotation of said drum, and other means for forcing said rollers out of the recesses in said cam hub and onto said spaced cams to actuate said dogs to move said slidin disk into clutching engagement with the friction plate on said'floatingrdisk.y

In witness whereof, my signature.

I have hereunto aixed 

